Hawass Rambles about Ramesses II

[Goddess]

The Mummy of the Pharaoh of Moses
By Zahi Hawass

I recently read on the Internet the story of Ramses II's mummy. We know that during the late 1970s the French president, Giscard d'Estaing, asked President Anwar El-Sadat if the mummy of Ramses II could be sent to Paris for conservation and preservation. Being that this mummy did not require any treatment, the real reason behind their request lay in their search for the Pharaoh of the biblical Exodus whom they believed to be Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, third ruler of the New Kingdom's 19th Dynasty. This ulterior motive, however, was never voiced to the authorities.

According to the holy books, the Pharaoh ruling in Moses's time drowned in the Red Sea during an epic chase after the parting of the waters. The French scientists were seeking evidence to prove the occurrence of this miraculous event.

The mummy of Ramses the Great was given a royal welcome at Le Bourget airport. Even the French president attended the glamorous ceremony. The mummy was then transferred to the French archaeological centre for examination.

One of the scientists responsible for the mummy's examination was a very dishonest man. He stole strands of Ramses II's hair and kept them for himself. Later on, his son attempted to sell the strands of hair on the Internet. With the help of our ambassador to France, Nasser Kamel, we were able to put an end to this and return the strands of hair to Cairo.

On the mummy's return to Cairo, reporters interviewed the French scientist about his findings. He stated that, inside the mummy, he had discovered a strange insect. The reporters laughed and called it a French insect. I seriously believe that sending the mummy of Ramses II to France was a big mistake.

Numerous false ideas about the mummy have recently been published. First, it has been said that the hands of the mummy are positioned differently than all other royal mummies, especially the left hand. This is inaccurate. Both Ramses II's arms are laid on his chest, just like all the other royal New Kingdom mummies. It has also been said that when the linen surrounding the mummy was untied the left arm jumped up, leading to the conclusion that the embalmers forced the mummy's arms position. Finally, some have stated that the laboratory results demonstrated the remains of salt inside the body of Ramses II, and that X-rays showed that many of his bones were broken. According to theorists, these results indicate that the Pharaoh drowned in the sea. They claimed that the strange position of his left hand indicated that he was holding the reins of a horse, while swinging a sword in his right. Furthermore, they added that while the Pharaoh was drowning he was attempting to push the water with his left hand, hence the reason for the embalmers having to force the left arm back into the traditional position.

I do not think that any of these ideas is correct. Egyptologists know that salt was used in the mummification process and that a great amount of salt is always found while examining mummies. For example, about 28 large jars full of natron, the type of salt used in mummification, were recently discovered in tomb KV 63 in the Valley of the Kings. Therefore, the fact that salt was found inside the royal mummy of Ramses II does not, by any means, prove that he drowned in the Red Sea. This said, I do not believe that there is any real evidence demonstrating that Pharaoh Ramses II drowned at all.

All these theories posted on the Internet are inaccurate, as the research conducted was not scientific.

It is my opinion that we should conduct further research into the lineage of Ramses II. Now that I have successfully had the mummy believed to be that of Ramses I flown back to Cairo from Atlanta, our scientists can investigate further into the true identity of this mummy. Lastly, with the help of the DNA labs and CT-Scanning machines in Cairo, the Egyptian Mummy Project can begin to determine the true identity of Ramses II's family members. These tests could, perhaps, also help us answer the everlasting question of whether or not Ramses II was truly the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Most importantly, the CT- Scanning machine can take up to 1,700 images which will reveal to be important evidence for our research. It will be the first time that an Egyptian team has attempted this study.

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/944/he2.htm

[Horus]

Just another load of old theories rehashed all over again.

[Goddess]

Just another load of old theories rehashed all over again.

Welocome to the joys of Zahi's column in Alahram Weekly! You sometimes get the feeling someone is jabbing him with a big stick getting him to actually write a couple of hundred words to put into his column - unfortunately - he never says anything new or exciting or indeed original - it's always just the same gripes that he likes to keep repeating from his soap box.

It's just a shame that he never remembers what he wrote in months past because he just keeps on repeating himself.

This is why I stopped buying the paper, and prefer to read it online. This, and the stupid crossword that either the clues don't match the grid, all the clues have the wrong numbers, or all the boxes are in the wrong place - and it's not because I'm bad at crosswords - but because that paper is pants at layout. I was tempted to write and complain about it once or twice - but decided it was a waste of time!

[Horus]

Ooh crosswords we could write one on here, although I have to say I am not very good at them, always having to rub out my answers. You get clues like "To egg on" and so I put "Toast" and find out it is wrong, or I have a four lettered word ending in 'IT' and the clue is "Found on the bottom of a Budgies cage" the answer was 'GRIT' another one I had to rub out.

[PRchick]

:lol::lol:@ Horus

[WelshStudent]

Oh Zahi how we love thee!

[Clandestino]

Oh, not, again and again...
I feel some brave medical doctor who will be able to offer Zahi a great, deep anal examination, leaded by a full broadcast team with big-sized film caneras and flashlight over his asshole. Why they can't let the poor, robbed mummy of Ramesses, lying in a glass case like some zoo-attraction, just resting and being undisturbed???

The french did a great action of honour by conservating his body in 1976 - only the egyptian president gave a little bit more honour for the royal remains - by closing the "mummy room" for long time. I never heard about any "strange insect" found in Ramesses" body - it was sterilized by gamma-rays, no living creature or microorganism 're able to survive it. he was been lying in the crossfire of the gammas for long hours. He was handled by the french like a living one, with full of honour (ok, some asshole took a few strings of his hair).

And in his homeland he is a tourist attraction, he "makes money" for Egypt. He told us a lot of secrets, his body spoke about himself, the x.rays, taken by the american team (Harris-Weeks) and the french (Balout) aren't enough for Dr. Hawass? The french team was very exact by anatomical examinations - but they wrote only about a post-mortem fracture of any phalanx of the feet. It's very hard to find a small fracture on a small bone like this - why they didn't found any more broken bones or healed fractures, the signs on the bones would be clearly visible - but i think, His Majesty Ramesses never got severe fractures on his body. maybe in his old age - like most of the people over 60-70... He was a half-man - half-god, but his body was human...

The conservation of Ramesses was been held in 1976 - but i think, neither the antimicrobiak filters was been changed in his vitrine, nor the state of preservation of his body was been checked. I saw him once in december - then in march again - long time before - between the two timelines they did some scans - he got few small cracks on his face and neck... The poor one will be more and more deterioriated because of being the victim of science ...

Some frenchmen offered his hair for sale on the ebay - Egypt got it back - i think, good sample material for getting DNA-tests... Without disturbing the poor mummy himself...

Before I often visited him for drawing, and once i heard the following discussion of local students. - He died on the bottom of the Red Sea, because his lungs 're still in his chest and about the results of archaeological examinations, his lung is full with salty water...

The other tale of the Pharaoh of The Exodus, but here is our Mérenptah inside - Some of his toes 're still missing because the fishes ate his fingers while he was been lying on the bottom of the Red Sea.

I often closed my eyes and tried to see both of them - my old, honored Ramesses, he wasn't able to "live" in his last time, he wasn't able to thinking and moving, like his own shadow... Also Mérenptah, he was also over 80 when he died, you can't see because his mouth is closed, but he has only few teeth... Just believe, the ruined half-gods 're walking trough the Red Sea... Or, leading their carriage troops between the waterwalls... Joking...

I'm not enough brave to write some petition for "saving" the glory of Ramesses, to please all scientists, to let him rest in peace, in his life, 3600 years before, just a couple of people was allowed to touch him, please, think about it, when you ask his body for new "attractions"...

But i'm nobody and sometimes i'm thinking i'm not normal...

C

[Glyphdoctor]

I have no respect for Jill Kamil, for the reason that she does not do her job as editor of that section of the newspaper and simply allows Zahi to say anything he wants, even if it makes him and Egypt look bad.

[LivinginLuxor]

Luxor Museum shows how royal mummies should be displayed. Quiet, darkened rooms, lit only by small spotlights.

Zahi-bashing seems to be quite a developed sport, but without him to publicise discoveries, we would all be no wiser, and tourism might drop.

[redsaffy]

Luxor Museum shows how royal mummies should be displayed. Quiet, darkened rooms, lit only by small spotlights.

Zahi-bashing seems to be quite a developed sport, but without him to publicise discoveries, we would all be no wiser, and tourism might drop.

I agree with you Stan about Luxor museum it feels almost humbling visiting the mummies there.

I do not like Zahi at all but I have to agree to a certian degree he does alot to premote (if that is the right word!!) Egypts history.

C - I feel the same that all mummies should be allowed to rest in peace I would like to see them back in there tombs like TUT for people wishing to see what they looked like life size models of the pharoahs could be made like in the wax work museums???!!!